The 2017 follow-up to both the Apple iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have just been officially announced by Apple through a Special Media Event held at the all-new Steve Jobs Theatre just in front of the Apple Campus in Cupertino, California, USA.

Although they retain the rounded rectangle footprint as well as the same location of ports and buttons of their predecessors, the all-new Apple iPhone 8 and Apple iPhone 8 Plus represents a clear upgrade in terms of design, build, and internal hardware.

Basically, the screen size and resolution of these fresh models are just the same as that of previous iPhones but according to Apple, their new Retina Display has better color accuracy and cinema wide color gamut, which should result in better viewing experience.

At the heart of the Apple iPhone 8 and 8 Plus is the all-new six-core Apple A11 Bionic chipset, which has a 64-Bit architecture.

Having two performance cores and four high-efficiency cores, which are 25% and 70% faster than the A10 respectively, the A11 Bionic processor ensures maximum performance and energy-efficiency.

A11 Bionic also comes with Apple's 2nd generation performance controller that delivers 70% faster multi-thread workloads when running multiple specs-intensive apps and games. And on top of that, it integrates a new Apple-designed graphics processing unit that's 30% faster and 50% less power hungry than what's in the A10.

This GPU allows both the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus to give users top-notch mobile gaming experience, even when running the most resource-demanding titles.

The Apple iPhone 8 features a 12 MegaPixel f/1.8 camera at the back with phase detection autofocus, optical image stabilization, and Quad LED flash with two tones.

On the other hand, the Apple iPhone 8 Plus has the exact same rear camera but is equipped with an additional 12 MegaPixel optic with f/2.8 aperture and 56mm focal point, which enables 2X lossless zoom and Portrait Mode where the background of the subject is beautifully blurred.

By having a more powerful processor compared to the Apple iPhone 7 Plus, the iPhone 8 Plus lets the user add various lighting effects to the Portrait Mode - including contour lighting, even before snapping photos - to make the shots more visually appealing. Apple calls this 'Portrait Lighting'.

Both new iPhones have a 7 MegaPixel front-facing Selfie camera with f/2.2 aperture and screen flash for low light conditions.

Apple iPhone 8 and 8 Plus' video recording capabilities also saw a boost coming from the iPhone that they succeeded. To be specific, there's not a 4K 60fps mode along with Full HD 1080p 240fps slow motion -- for those who see their iPhone as a potential camcorder alternative.

The A11 Bionic chipset - as a system - also enables Augmented Reality experience using the handset.

AR is essentially a composite view of computer generated graphics that's super-imposed on the user's view of the real world. This technology can be used in creating more engaging games as well as applications for various fields, including marketing, tourism, and education.

Supporting by Qi technology, Apple iPhone 8 and 8 Plus can work with a number of third party wireless chargers that are now available in the market.

These two 2017 iPhones have Bluetooth 5.0, which is faster and has wider range. So you can keep listening to your favorite music tracks from Apple Music using your AirPods even when your iPhone is not in your pocket or is in another room in your house.

Apple iPhone 8 and 8 Plus Key Technical Specifications

Apple iPhone 8 will available in three colors, namely, Space Grey, Silver, and Gold -- all with two storage options, 64GB and 256GB.

The base price of the Apple iPhone 8 is $699 USD or Php 35,630 with current conversion and before taxes.

The Apple iPhone 8 Plus will be out in the same colors and will have the same storage -- but its base price is $799 USD or Php 40,730.

In the United States as well as other key markets for the iPhone, Apple Stores and carrier partners will start taking pre-orders for the Apple iPhone 8 and 8 Plus starting on September 15, 2017.

Successful registrants within the pre-order period will get their devices on September 22, 2017.

As for owners of older iPhone models, Apple will begin seeding iOS 11, the latest version of the Cupertino company's mobile operating system, starting on September 19, 2017.

As of writing, we haven't received word from Apple's authorized retail partners and network carriers on the official price schedule of Apple iPhone 8 and 8 Plus here in the Philippines. Nonetheless, Smart Communications - our country's largest network - has already confirmed that they'll be bundling the said handsets with their popular postpaid plans. Stay tuned for updates!